From Chance to Systematization: Shedding Light on the Formation Phase of University-SME Cooperation

Kruse, Paul; Reiners, Sebastian; Elmer, Janis


Abstract

The adoption of digital technologies is far from trivial. Especially for Small and Medium-sized Enterprise with their limitations in resources. To overcome these limitations, cooperation with academia has proven to be useful. However, these cooperation are heavily dependent on personal connections. Despite research regarding the formation process, the initial step, identifying a contact person, remains ambiguous. By conducting 15 interviews with academia and practitioners who successfully establish such cooperation, we provide insights for forming cooperation between academia and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises.
The interviews were analyzed using an inductive approach. This resulted in 381 codes, 13 2nd-order themes, and four dimensions. Ultimately, four exemplary strategies for how to leverage the framework are demonstrated. These strategies provide actionable pathways for both Small and Medium-sized Enterprises and academia to initiate and maintain successful cooperation and illustrate how the developed framework can be used by Small and Medium-sized Enterprises and universities to identify suitable strategies for improving their ability to establish contact with potential partners.

Keywords
University-SME Cooperation, University-Business Cooperation, UBC, Formation



Publication type
Research article in proceedings (conference)

Peer reviewed
Yes

Publication status
Published

Year
2025

Conference
27th International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction (HCII 2025)

Venue
Göteborg

Book title
Learning and Collaboration Technologies: 12th International Conference, LCT 2025, Held as Part of the 27th HCI International Conference, HCII 2025, Gothenburg, Sweden, June 22–27, 2025, Proceedings, Part I

Editor
Smith, Brian K.; Borge, Marcela

Start page
261

End page
280

Volume
15806

Title of series
Lecture Notes in Computer Science

Publisher
Springer

Place
Cham

Language
English

ISSN
0302-9743

ISBN
978-3-031-93563-3

DOI